58. THE COLLEGE OF HASTINGS (fn. 1)
The College of St. Mary of the Castle of
Hastings was founded by Robert, count of Eu,
probably about 1090. It is not mentioned in
Domesday, when all its subsequent endowments
are found in the hands of various tenants, but
was presumably in existence in 1094, when
Anselm consecrated Robert bishop of Lincoln in
the church of St. Mary in the Castle of Hastings. (fn. 2)
It was possibly the successor of an earlier collegiate establishment, as in the thirteenth century
the canons claimed to be of the foundation of
Edward the Confessor, and said that the Conqueror gave 'the castle and chapel with the
prebends' to the count of Eu; but 'la livre
domus dei' to which they appealed does not
support their claim. (fn. 3)
Of the original endowment of the college we
derive most of our information from a charter of
confirmation granted early in the twelfth century
by the founder's grandson Henry, count of Eu. (fn. 4)
From this we learn that there were ten prebends;
of these, which are here distinguished by the
names of their holders, the first was that of
Gwymund, to which Count Robert had given
the chapels of Wartling, Hooe, and Ninfield,
certain tithes of money and salt and a house in
the castle and another in the bailey by the
bridge. To the prebend of William fitz Allec
belonged the churches of Bexhill, afterwards
recovered by the bishop of Chichester as appurtenant to his see, and 'Stutinges,' (fn. 5) the chapel of
Bulverhythe and land by the 'minster' in that
place, (fn. 6) an annual render of 2,000 herrings and
other fish dues, tithes at Chiceam (fn. 7) and elsewhere, a house in the bailey and another below it.
The prebend of Hugh de Floscis was founded
by Walter fitz Lambert who gave the tithes of
his own lands and those of his vavassours, and
one 'hospes'—or squatter—at Hailsham; Walter
reserved to himself and his heirs the right of
appointing a canon to this prebend when vacant
with the common consent of the chapter;
Geoffrey, brother of Hugh de Floscis, gave the
church of Guestling and certain tithes, and the
count gave a house in the castle. The prebend
of Ulbert had only tithes of 'Malrepast' and
'Agintune,' but Count Henry gave a meadow
beyond the mill below the castle; that of
Eustace was endowed by Reinbert the sheriff
with the churches of Salehurst, Mountfield, and
Udimore, tithes in Etchingham and elsewhere,
the count adding a house in the castle. The
prebend of Auscher, or Anscher, possessed the
church of West Thurrock (fn. 8) in Essex with land
there and at 'Sistaleberga,' (fn. 9) a house in 'Esteham' and another in the castle. To that of
Theobald belonged the churches of Peasmarsh,
Beckley, Iham, and Iden and the chapel of
Playden, with various tithes and a parcel of
moor at Rye; to that of Geoffrey de Blangii
the chapel of 'Weklintun,' land at 'Cyletona'
and 'Horna,' tithes at 'Tyntuna' and other
places and a house in the bailey. The prebend
of Ralph Taiard was endowed with the church
of Ewhurst, the chapels of Wilting, 'Vilesent,'
Hollington and Bodiam, and the burial fees of
parishioners of Bodiam chapel due to Ewhurst
church, various tithes, a house in the castle and
a garden outside the bailey. The prebend of
Roger Daniel possessed the church of Brightling,
the monastery of 'Bochehordea' (fn. 10) and certain
lands and tithes. The control of the grammar
school was assigned to the prebend of Thurrock
and that of the choir school to the prebend of
Wartling.
To the common fund of the church for food
and clothing were given the church of St.
Andrew at Hastings and a yearly rent of four
ambers of salt from Rye, as well as certain rights
of pasture. For the support of the fabric, lights
and ornaments of the church, the count gave the
tithes of his rents in the rape of Hastings, and
other grants were made by various persons,
Godfrey the priest giving the church of
St. Sepulchre subject to the confirmation of Boniface, on whose land it was built and to whom the
canons agreed to pay an annual rent of two
shillings.
From about the beginning of the thirteenth
century the prebends seem to have been as
follows: Bulverhythe, Brightling, Crowhurst
(sometimes with Ticehurst), Hollington (with
Ewhurst and Bodiam), Marlepast, Peasmarsh,
Stone, Thurrock, and the combined prebend of
Wartling, Hooe, and Ninfield which was divided
into three separate prebends (fn. 11) ; finally, there was
the prebend of Salehurst, which from 1333
onward was held by the abbot of Robertsbridge.
After the free chapel had been granted away
from the crown these prebends seem to have
gradually diminished in number, and in 1535
the Valor only records those of Hollington,
Peasmarsh, Hooe, Wartling, Ninfield, Brightling,
and Thurrock. (fn. 12)
John, count of Eu, son of that Henry whose
charter of confirmation has already been noticed,
in 1151 granted the church of St. Mary in the
castle to the abbey of Tréport, so that as the
canons died, resigned, or assumed the monastic
habit, monks of Tréport should be introduced in their stead. (fn. 13) This grant, however,
possibly owing to the confused state of England
at this time and the death of Stephen in 1154,
was either revoked or at least not taken advantage
of—if indeed it was ever really made. (fn. 14) No
trace of any claim by the abbey of Tréport is to
be found until, in 1470, (fn. 15) apparently taking
advantage of the brief restoration to power of
Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou, the abbey
petitioned the latter queen, who was then in
France, to restore to them the church of
St. Mary given, as they asserted, by Count John
in 1151. (fn. 16) It would seem that she granted the
request, as they appointed five of their number
to act as their proctors 'in ruling and governing
our church or priory of Hastings dependent upon
our said monastery,' with power to receive the
vows of those admitted into the priory according
to the Benedictine rule, especially the vow of
obedience, to correct all faults in the members
of the priory and to call back to the cloister any
who had left it if such there were. (fn. 17) Edward' IV
recovering his throne, this attempt of the abbey
to plant a cell at Hastings came to nothing.
The college remained in the patronage of the
founder's descendants until 1267, when, on the
death of Alice, countess of Eu, it escheated with
the castle and rape of Hastings to the crown. (fn. 18)
It then became a royal chapel, and so remained
until its grant to Sir Thomas Hoo in 1446. It
was therefore free and exempt from the jurisdiction of ordinaries, and although the bishops of
Chichester on several occasions endeavoured to
enforce their rights of visitation, &c. there, they
were always unsuccessful.
Although the charter of Henry, count of Eu,
was witnessed by 'Hugh the Dean,' it appears
doubtful whether there was a dean constantly at
the head of the college before the thirteenth
century. In the agreement made by Walter
fitzLambert for the election of future canons
to the prebend of Guestling, the 'common
consent of the chapter' only is mentioned, and
in a deed of about 1190 (fn. 19) one Brunching, a
canon, makes a grant 'by the common counsel and consent of the chapter.' Lyttleton's
statement that Becket was dean of this college
appears to have arisen from his misunderstanding
the fact that the count of Eu gave the patronage
of the prebends of Hastings to Becket. (fn. 20) Henry
de Ow occurs as dean of St. Mary's in 1195. (fn. 21)
In 1275 the king ordered William of Faversham to visit the chapel and put over it some
prudent member of the community in place of
the dean. (fn. 22) That this was done is evident from
the direction of a royal mandate next year
to the vice-dean and chapter ordering them to
convert to the support of the chapel and its
ornaments the issues of vacant prebends and
other things formerly set aside for that purpose. (fn. 23)
A letter of 1280 addressed to the constable of
Hastings Castle directs him to deliver the houses
in the castle to Master Luke de Neuport, canon
of the free chapel, to dwell in; (fn. 24) and a royal
charter (fn. 25) was issued the following year confirming
an undated grant of land made by Vincent the
dean and the chapter of the free chapel.
The earliest constitutions of the college give
full directions for the performance of divine service. (fn. 26) During the winter, from Michaelmas to
Easter, the sacrist should ring for mattins at daybreak—the first bell being rung for the time
it takes to go from St. Michael's church to
St. Mary's; after a reasonable interval the second
bell should ring for half the time of the first,
and the third for half that of the second. The
full peal (classicum) should be rung according to
the dignity of the various festivals, and when it
rang all should assemble, the lights should be lit
in the church and the priest should begin mattins,
all facing the east, as they should do at the
beginning of all the hours until the 'Alleluia'
after the doxology, when they turn and face one
another across the choir. Anyone arriving after
the end of the first psalm should lose his
commons for that day, and if constantly so
offending should be removed from the church.
Immediately after mattins a bell shall ring three
times for the mass of the Blessed Virgin; the
priest shall robe and commence the office, and
after the offertory any priests who wish to celebrate private masses may do so provided the
priest whose duty it is to say high mass shall
remain behind, and on anniversaries another
priest to celebrate the mass for the departed.
At a suitable hour the prime bell shall ring the
time it takes to go a league, then after a short
interval the 'little prime' shall ring and all shall
come to the service and remain to the end, when
they assemble in chapter and any faults shall be
corrected. After chapter, mass for the departed
shall be said, and then terce, during which the
priest and his assistants shall robe for high mass.
If any vicars are not in residence their stipends
shall be divided amongst the canons and vicars
who are. Two of the vicars shall note any
vicars absent and read out the list in chapter,
and distribute the commons according to the
residence kept by the several recipients. Finally
the 'proctor or dean' of the church with the
advice of his brethren, and especially of those
resident, shall order all things in the church to
the glory of God and the good of the church.
Additions were made to these rules in 1286,
when it was ordained that any minister absent
for a fortnight without leave should lose his perquisites for a month, and any in residence absent
from morning mass should lose his perquisites
for a week. All taking part in any service should
wear the customary dress and especially their
hoods. Anyone causing strife or contention
should be punished by the dean by the withdrawal of his commons. Finally all are strictly
forbidden to submit to the jurisdiction of ordinaries to the prejudice of the chapel.
The last of these rules was doubtless due to
the determined efforts of the bishops of Chichester about this period to subject the college to
their jurisdiction. Some of the canons had had
to appeal to the king against the bishop in 1279;
and in 1299 orders were given to Robert de
Burghersh to ascertain whether the bishop should
have the institution and admission of the prebends, (fn. 27) which privilege he again claimed, but
unsuccessfully, in 1307. (fn. 28) During the vacancy
of the see of Chichester in 1305 the archbishop of
Canterbury attempted to hold a visitation in the
chapel but was refused admission by the keeper
of the castle, whom, with certain of the canons,
he excommunicated. Afterwards, while the
castle was without a keeper, he sent officials
who held a visitation, made divers statutes, and
appointed William of Lewes dean, an appointment which the king at once annulled. (fn. 29)
Being exempt from episcopal control the free
chapel of Hastings was visited periodically by
royal commissioners, and a detailed report of their
proceedings in September, 1319, is still extant. (fn. 30)
Master Edmund of London, the dean, and five
canons were present in person and three canons
by proctors. It was then ordained that all repairs to the fabric of the church and the provision of vestments, books, and ornaments should
be defrayed from the offerings made in the
chapel. Also that the vicars should be fit persons
sufficiently skilled in reading and singing, that
they should be constant at their duties, not
wander about the country, and that they should
be of good report; if any of them were thrice
found guilty of infringing these rules he should
thereby forfeit his place in the church. The
sacrist, into whose hands all oblations must
come in the first place, should be at once removed
if found unfit; also the offerings collected by
the proper officers should be kept in safety in
locked coffers, and the collectors should swear to
collect faithfully and to keep nothing back. At
the beginning of each quarter the canons should
pay down the full amount due to their vicars for
the ensuing quarter, at 2d. a day, and two of the
vicars sworn for that purpose should distribute
their commons to the vicars every week according to their merits; if by reason of their defaults anything remained over it should be divided
between the vicars and canons in residence at the
discretion of the dean. Canons in residence
should reside six weeks in each quarter, attending
at least one mass or one of the hours every day,
and should keep up their houses. In future every
canon, resident or not, should receive his share
of the common revenues by the hands of his
vicar to the amount which he formerly paid
from his prebend to the vicar, to whose use the
said money should remain. Any money left
over after paying stipends and other expenses was
to be divided amongst the dean and canons in
residence every quarter, but if any failed to reside
during the Michaelmas and Christmas quarters
they should lose their shares for the year. Directions were also given about the letting of the
houses belonging to the college.
The dean, being examined, said that there was
a fund of £20 set aside for repairs and that the
ornaments of the church were in good condition
except that two antiphonaries and two graduals
were wanting, and he at once presented an antiphonary of the Sarum Use to the church and
appointed one of the vicars to write the other
books. Of the spiritual condition of the chapel
he had a worse report to make. Six of the vicars
were quarrelsome and dissolute and frequently
left the chapel unserved, and though often punished were incorrigible. They had also stolen
a coffer fastened to the foot of the cross, from
which the expenses of the church were paid,
with a large sum of money: moreover they
caused the constable's deputies to eject the vicars
from their houses in the castle and the sacrists
from their rooms in the chapel, where they used
to be night and day to receive pilgrims to the
Blessed Virgin and the Holy Cross, (fn. 31) and took
from them the keys of the chapel, chambers,
treasury, chapter and bell tower so that they
might dispose as they pleased of the money;
they also forcibly resisted the entrance of carpenters sent to repair the chapel and belfry,
wherefore many defects still remain. In their
defence the vicars alleged that they took the
coffer by order of their masters, the non-resident
canons, but could produce no evidence thereof;
they also accused other vicars of stealing money
from another coffer, but the latter asserted that
they themselves stole the second coffer from the
high altar by night. To ascertain the truth a
jury was sworn who found that the charges were
true as far as five of the vicars were concerned.
They also made certain statements about several
of the vicars, the details of which resemble the
charges brought against the monks by Layton
and his followers at the time of the dissolution.
As a result four vicars were ejected, the fifth not
having been convicted three times was allowed
to remain.
The jury also found that the houses on the
west of the chapel in the castle were built with
the money of the chapel for the use of the clergy,
and that two sacrists had always dwelt in the
chapel day and night to receive pilgrims and had
two rooms in the same chapel, one on the ground
floor by the door for their meals, and an upper
chamber at the west of the chapel for their
beds.
Two years later, in 1321, the king issued a
commission for another visitation, (fn. 32) stating that
the ministers of the chapel were neglecting their
duties, although receiving their stipends, that
some of them were leading dissolute lives, and
that the oblations of the Holy Rood which ought
to be devoted to the repairs of the chapel and the
payment of the ministers were being otherwise
disposed of by the dean. Similar commissions
were issued in 1328 (fn. 33) and 1334 (fn. 34) and also in
1335 (fn. 35) and 1336, (fn. 36) the visitors at the latter date
being the abbots of Battle and Robertsbridge.
An endeavour to effect some improvement in the
condition of the chapel was also made by the
canons themselves in 1335, when they assembled
at Bermondsey Priory, where the prebendary of
Thurrock, William de Cusancia—probably a
brother of the prior—was staying, and passed
certain regulations, the most important being
that the dean should be always resident except
for three months in the year, when he might be
absent provided he left a sufficient deputy. It
was also recorded that every canon upon his
institution ought to present to the church a cope,
or 10s. for the use of the choir and ornaments of
the church. (fn. 37)
Misfortune now befell the college. In 1331
the dean and chapter had petitioned (fn. 38) the king
to cause the castle of Hastings to be inclosed
with walls and gates and houses to be built for
the canons to dwell in, and to allow them to
have the herbage of the castle within the will of
Hastings towards the repairs, and also the custody
of the castle in time of peace; as for lack of
such inclosure, which had been destroyed partly
when the castle was forfeited to the king by
the count of Eu, and still more by the daily
incursions of the sea, so that the king's predecessors had abandoned the castle and left it
derelict, the chapel had been often broken into
by malefactors, its relics, ornaments, and treasures
plundered, its ministers beaten and wounded, and
its cemetery defiled by wandering animals. This
petition had been granted, and it was possibly
owing to the castle being in such unwarlike
hands that the French found it so easy a prey
in 1339, when they landed and plundered the
castle, free chapel, and the canons' houses.
Shortly afterwards the king warned the canons
of the probability of a renewed raid, and ordered
them to secure the castle. (fn. 39) This order was
apparently supplemented by the appointment of
William de Percy as constable, in the exercise of
which office he prevented the clergy from inhabiting their houses within the castle or serving
in the chapel, and also prohibited the entrance
of pilgrims, by whose offerings the college was
supported. (fn. 40) Some idea of the injury done to
the town at this time may be gathered from the
respite granted to the canons of the annual tenth,
payable from their churches of St. Michael,
St. Peter, and St. Margaret, because their buildings and those of their parishioners had been
burnt, so that the issues did not suffice to support
any priest in these churches or for any other
charges. (fn. 41) At a later date, in 1341, it is noted
that the stipends of the vicars choral had been
paid since 1322 out of the oblations made to the
Holy Rood, which were then sufficient, but
now, on account of the notorious poverty of
the neighbourhood, the oblations were so
diminished that they did not suffice, and the
vicars, in default of payment, which should be
made from the issues of the prebends, would soon
have to withdraw from the church if remedy
were not applied. (fn. 42)
These misfortunes were aggravated by internal disorder due to disputes concerning the
deanery. In January, 1337, a mandate was
addressed to the keeper and chapter of the free
chapel, which is stated to have been long without
a dean and to have suffered much harm thereby,
to meet and elect a dean. (fn. 43) This is the only
instance in which the chapter exercised the
right of election, and it is specially stipulated
that if the right to collate to the deanery be in
the king, it shall not be prejudiced by this
mandate. Walter de Lyndrigge was accordingly
appointed, but resigned in November, 1339,
upon obtaining the archdeaconry of Lewes. (fn. 44) In
February, 1340, Walter was again granted the
custody of the deanery, which is here stated to
have been long void. (fn. 45) In March, however,
Geoffrey de Clare, representing Lyndrigge to be a
careless custodian, obtained his own appointment, (fn. 46)
which was quashed in May. (fn. 47) The custody
of the chapel was then granted for life to John
Wade in 1342, (fn. 48) but next year Walter de Lyndrigge (fn. 49) was again appointed to administer the
church, 'now greatly decayed by the neglect and
insufficient rule of the keepers, whereby the
vicars and other ministers are withdrawing from
the service thereof.' Lyndrigge and Wade were
then summoned to appear in Chancery to decide
their claims, (fn. 50) and the abbot of Robertsbridge was
ordered in the meanwhile to take charge of the
chapel and deanery. (fn. 51) The dispute was settled in
favour of Wade, who in February, 1344, was
granted the deanery and wardenship of the king's
chapel of Hastings. (fn. 52) It was no doubt in connexion with these disputed claims to the deanery
that certain persons—
by night forcibly entered by ladders over the walls of
the castle of Hastings and assaulted the minister of
the king's chapel and carried away books, chalices,
vestments, and ornaments of the chapel, and now keep
themselves in the said chapel by armed power. (fn. 53)
At the visitation held in April, 1345, (fn. 54) it was
found that there were defects in the roof of the
chapel, the belfry, bells, books, vestments, windows, &c., whose repair would cost £20. At
the last visitation Geoffrey de Clare, then dean,
said that he had £15 for such repairs, but he
did not expend the money for that purpose but
kept it; he also allowed certain rents to remain
uncollected. Master Geoffrey further carried off
two papal bulls, conferring privileges on the
chapel; one of these he sold to Master Walter
de Lindrigge, formerly dean. He also carried
away a chalice and other things, and by the
carelessness of his sacrist the cross from the top
of a silver-gilt monstrance was lost; his prebend
of Bulverhythe was therefore sequestrated. At
the same time four of the vicars were ejected
for continuing to keep concubines in spite of the
dean's prohibition.
Another visitation was made in 1407, when it
was noted that the vicars' houses at the west end
of the chapel had lately been rebuilt, but the
houses below the castle called 'Godelond,' used
by the dean and canons resident, were ruined, and
almost uninhabitable. Recent deans had mostly
been non-resident, and had allowed many rents
and annual payments to be withdrawn from the
college to its great loss. (fn. 55) At last, in 1447, its
privileged position as a royal free chapel was lost,
Henry VI in that year granting that the collegiate church of Hastings, with its deanery and
prebends, which he had given with the castle
to Sir Thomas Hoo, should be exempt from
visitation by the king or any other person except
the bishop of Chichester and his official. (fn. 56) This
arrangement was confirmed, in 1460, by an
agreement between Sir William Hastings, then
lord of the honour of Hastings, and the bishop,
by which the college was declared to be entirely
subject to the jurisdiction of the bishop. (fn. 57)
It survived the dissolution of 1536-8, but fell
under the Act suppressing colleges, &c., in the
last year of Henry VIII, and was granted by the
king to Sir Anthony Browne, of Battle and
Cowdray, and Elizabeth his wife. (fn. 58)
Deans Of The College Of Hastings
Hugh, early twelfth century (fn. 59)
Henry de Ow, occurs 1195 (fn. 60)
Vincent, before 1280 (fn. 61)
Giles de Audenard, appointed 1302 (fn. 62)
William de Lewes, intruded 1305 (fn. 63)
Edmund de London, occurs 1319, (fn. 64) 1322 (fn. 65)
Walter de Lyndrigge, appointed 1337, (fn. 66) resigned 1339 (fn. 67)
Geoffrey de Clare, appointed 1340 (fn. 68)
John Wade, appointed 1342, (fn. 69) occurs 1347 (fn. 70)
John de Codington, occurs 1361, (fn. 71) 1366 (fn. 72)
Robert Leggatt, 1369 (fn. 73)
William de Grysell, exchanged 1374 (fn. 74)
John de Hardlestone, appointed 1374, (fn. 75) resigned 1383 (fn. 76)
John Eyr, appointed 1383, (fn. 77) exchanged
1389 (fn. 78)
John Notyngham, appointed 1389 (fn. 79)
Richard Clyfford, resigned 1398 (fn. 80)
Gilbert de Stone, appointed 1398, (fn. 81) exchanged
1401 (fn. 82)
John Gamull, appointed 1401 (fn. 83)
Henry Rumworth, appointed 1408, (fn. 84) exchanged 1411 (fn. 85)
William Hawe, appointed 1411 (fn. 86)
William Tanfield, 1415 (fn. 87)
William Prestwick, appointed 1423, (fn. 88) died
1436 (fn. 89)
John Kingscote, 1458 (fn. 90)
John Carpenter, 1460 (fn. 91)
John Fowkes (fn. 92)
Benedict Burgh, resigned 1480 (fn. 93)
John Pensell, appointed 1480 (fn. 94)
Richard Brokysby, or Roksbye, occurs 1535 (fn. 95)
The seal used in 1195 was oval (3 in. long),
the Virgin seated holding a model of a church
in her right hand and a slip of lily in her left. (fn. 96)
Legend:—
SIGILLUM ECCLIE SCE MARIE DE HASTINGES
A deed of about 1230 has a seal; oval (1¾ in.)
Virgin and child under a canopy. (fn. 97) Legend:—
S' DECANI ... MARIE DE HASTINGE
There is also a fragment of a seal of 1334
showing a robed figure, seated, in profile. (fn. 98)